Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Segami

Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
August 25, 2012

Did David Koch BUY Paul Ryan's VP NOMINATION?




"...Cenk covers a Roger Stone report that David Koch may have lobbied heavily for Paul Ryan's selection as VP -- in exchange for an additional $100 million to Romney-friendly super PACs..."



.
August 24, 2012

OOPS!! - Why Was PHILANDERING Senator DAVID VITTER TWEETING to This YOUNG LADY Last Night?





Five years ago, Louisiana Senator David Vitter was humiliated when he was outed as a client of the infamous "DC Madam," Deborah Palfrey. Back then, reports said that not only did Vitter see prostitutes on numerous occasions, he was rumored to have a fetish for wearing diapers, like a man-baby. Palfrey ended up committing suicide in 2008, while Vitter, a staunch family values advocate, remains a sitting senator. And now it looks like the GOP hypocrite may be up to some more shady dalliances.


Last evening, Vitter tweeted "@LuvMy_Kisses" from his verified Twitter account. Though the tweet was quickly deleted, thanks to the Sunlight Foundation's Politwoops service, it was archived here.






http://politwoops.sunlightfoundation.com/tweet/238310303530622976



We've done some digging, and it appears as if @LuvMy_Kisses is the Twitter account of a woman named Daysha Scott. Her Twitter bio says she lives in "Westbank," a possible reference to Westbank, New Orleans, in Vitter's home state.


It could have been a simple mistake on Vitter's part—or that of an aide with access to his Twitter account—but when people began pressing Scott to explain why Vitter might be reaching out to her, she seemed to suggest that the contact was very intentional. "I know something you don't know," she tweeted coyly to a man attempting to get to the bottom of Vitter's contact.





cont'


http://gawker.com/5937761/why-was-philandering-senator-david-vitter-tweeting-to-this-young-lady-last-night

August 24, 2012

LOL!! - TODD AKIN Tells the GOP to KISS The Missouri SENATE SEAT GOODBYE




LOL!...Payback is such a BIACH!!



In a brief statement, Todd Akin essentially told the Republican Party to forget about defeating Claire McCaskill because he is going to be in the race until November. Rep. Akin made it clear to the entire Republican Party that he isn’t going anywhere. He said negotations may be happening, but they have nothing to do with him. Akin also reminded Republicans that the voters chose him, and he lobbed a few attacks in Claire McCaskill’s direction.



Akin claimed that threats have been made against him, and that the FBI is investigating. What he didn’t say was who made those threats. We are supposed to assume that it was the left, but it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if his fellow Republicans were threatening him in order to get him out of the race. When asked how he was going to campaign without party support, Rep. Akin said that campaigning is campaigning and that he would run a “normal” campaign. Rep. Akin’s press conference was designed to do nothing more than stick a thumb in the eye of Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. Akin isn’t going anywhere, and there is nothing the GOP can do to remove him.



Todd Akin may be delivering a death blow to the Republican hopes of retaking the Senate, and he could care less, which makes him the perfect poster child for the modern GOP. The Republican Party has been increasingly preaching selfishness and self interest to the nation for years, so why are they surprised when one of their own isn’t swayed by their take one for the team and get out of the race arguments?




cont'


http://www.politicususa.com/todd-akin-tells-gop-kiss-missouri-senate-seat-goodbye.html


.
August 24, 2012

NYT: Bain’s TAX “DODGING” Is "NOT LEGAL," “Subject To Serious I.R.S. Challenge”

Today’s NYT piece provides us with a deeper dive about complex U.S. offshore tax law(s), and how those laws apply to the Romney family’s primary investments in Bain Capital. Specifically, the Times report tells us that these questionable an/or illegal tax strategies directly apply to “large parts of his [Mitt Romney’s] personal fortune.” The story includes quite unminced commentary from tax law professors--Victor Fleischer at the University of Colorado and Gregg D. Polsky at the University of North Carolina School of Law--who indicate that Bain Capital’s “aggressive” tax strategies are illegal and/or “subject to serious I.R.S. challenge,” respectively.



Getting slightly granular here, and just so we’re clear, we’re talking about “questionable” or illegal strategies (depending upon whose opinions you follow) with regard to the “reclassification” of more than $1 billion in payments to Bain Capital partners. So here are the links and excerpts from the NYT and from the experts, themselves, telling us in plain English that, when it comes to the one percent’s tax avoidance (legal) and/or evasion (illegal) strategies, “This is how they do it.”



By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE, FLOYD NORRIS and JULIE CRESWELL

New York Times

August 24, 2012

…Bain private equity funds in which the Romney family’s trusts are invested appear to have used an aggressive tax approach, which some tax lawyers believe is not legal, to save Bain partners more than $200 million in income taxes and more than $20 million in Medicare taxes.

Annual reports for four Bain Capital funds indicate that the funds converted $1.05 billion in accumulated fees that otherwise would have been ordinary income for Bain partners into capital gains, which are taxed at a much lower rate.

Although some tax experts have criticized the approach, the Internal Revenue Service is not known to have challenged any such arrangements.

In a blog post Thursday, Victor Fleischer, a law professor at the University of Colorado, said that there was some disagreement among lawyers, but that he believed: “If challenged in court, Bain would lose. The Bain partners, in my opinion, misreported their income if they reported these converted fees as capital gain instead of ordinary income…”


…In an article that appeared in the journal Tax Notes in 2009, Gregg D. Polsky, a tax law professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, called the tax strategy “extremely aggressive” and said it was “subject to serious challenge by the I.R.S…”


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/24/us/politics/documents-show-details-on-romney-family-trusts.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all





The article continues on to inform us that the just-released documents: “…showed that some of the funds owned equity swaps, which have been used to avoid taxes that would otherwise be owed on dividends paid by American companies to foreign-based investors, like funds based in the Caymans.” The intent here, according to the article: “The major purpose of such ‘swaps,’ a Senate committee report stated in 2008, ‘is to enable non-U.S. persons to dodge payment of U.S. taxes on U.S. stock dividends.’”

Bain Capital, a group of artful dodgers, indeed.




http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/24/1123694/-NYT-Bain-s-tax-dodging-is-illegal-subject-to-serious-I-R-S-challenge
August 24, 2012

DON'T BLINK: Romney’s Nomination Is Gonna Be EARLY & QUICK






If you’re planning on watching the Republican National Convention next week, don’t blink or you might miss the actual nomination of Mitt Romney as the GOP’s Presidential candidate. That’s thanks to capitalism, hurricanes, and Ron Paul.



First of all, the networks informed the Romney campaign that they can frankly make more money off of showing retreads than they can off of the convention. So they decided to forego Monday night’s program altogether for the likes of a “Hawaii Five-O” rerun. But they’ve conceded to covering an hour on each of the remaining three nights of the convention. Shockingly, the Republicans don’t seem to understand the drive for profits and are angry about the networks’ decision.



Aw, shucks! And here Ann Romney was all set to pump up her hubby’s reputation during the telecast on Monday night. What’s a devoted wife to do? The campaign has to consider whether to schedule her electric presence for a different night, or go with the original plan. The original plan might not be a bad idea, just in case the convention is abridged into that one quick night, or less. For the second concern is that Tropical Storm Isaac is still threatening to build to hurricane level and might simply blow the proceedings out of town.



The bigger factor, however, may be Ron Paul. Paul’s supporters are fervent in their support of him and he hasn’t released his delegates to vote for someone else. Convention organizers are worried that these delegates will stage a disruption to show their undying love for their candidate. That would remove the focus from the GOP’s anointed one. If the party hurries up and gets the nominating process over with on Monday, they can derail the disruption, or at least limit it to the night when the cameras won’t be rolling. Then they can get down to the important business of three evenings of endless speeches, some of which might actually make it onto network TV for the entertainment of the nation. The bonus is that there will be no need to agonize over how to build up the candidate. All that dramatic nonsense will be over and done with before it even starts.






cont'

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/24/dont-blink-romneys-nomination-is-gonna-be-early-and-quick/


.
August 24, 2012

DEMS Urge Romney To BOOT HUCKABEE From Tampa LINEUP



Democrats say Mitt Romney has a Todd Akin problem and, by extension, a Mike Huckabee problem. The conservative radio host has reaffirmed his support for the embattled Senate nominee, just before he’s set to speak in a primetime slot in Tampa Monday night. Democrats are urging the GOP to boot Huckabee, one of its biggest social conservative stars, from the lineup.

American Bridge, the Democratic tracking firm, is launching an online drive to push Huckabee from the Tampa podium next week. The group says that keeping Huckabee on the schedule suggests the GOP isn’t serious about distancing itself from Akin and his stated views on female biology.


http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/democrats-call-on-romney-to-drop-huckabee-from-tampa-over-akin.php?ref=fpa








TELL MITT ROMNEY TO DROP MIKE HUCKABEE FROM THE RNC CONVENTION...



Sign the Petition and Tell Romney: Drop Huck!

Governor Romney,

As a candidate for President, what happens at your convention is your responsibility.

Your guest, Mike Huckabee, has emerged as the biggest defender of Rep. Todd Akin's hateful and disgusting comments about "legitimate rape." You've publicly denounced Akin's comments, and now it’s up to you to take a stand against apologists like Mike Huckabee.

Millions of Americans will be watching. Is Mike Huckabee’s pro-Akin, anti-woman message what you want to represent your campaign?

As a voter, I demand that you Drop Huck from your convention
immediately.

Sincerely,



http://act.americanbridgepac.org/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=7081




.
August 24, 2012

Romney RUNS From The GOP PARTY PLATFORM




The Republican Party will ratify it's Party Platform on Monday August 27, on the first day of their convention being held in Tampa, Florida. It is said to include a national version of the Arizona Immigration Bill SB 1070, outlaw all abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, mandatory ultra sounds, no same sex marriage or civil unions, and more voter ID laws. The Romney campaign is saying it is just a piece of paper, and that candidate Romney does not agree with all of it.


Americans should be studying this document, as it reflects a vision of America that is both theocratic and fascistic, an America that will be run by corporations. A new American Corporatocracy.


.
August 24, 2012

BWHAHAHAHAHA: "YOU PEOPLE" Ann Romney Sings BABS







YOU People
YOU nosy little people
Are the suckiest people in the world
Our taxes
Are not like your taxes
We're entitled of course to hide
Our money in banks worldwide
Writing off more fiction than...
Nix-shun
(I don't have to rhyme...I'm rich!)
Rich folks
Are very fragile..... people
The most victimized people in the world
All those questions
YOU people ask those questions
I'll bet you one dress horse for show
YOU have all that YOU need to know
No more inquiries please
Just vote for my husband you dumb people
Prius-driving people
We're above all YOU people
In the world
August 24, 2012

Rachel Maddow: Oops? New ROMNEY Docs on DODGING TAXES in Cayman Islands.





There has been an enormous DUMP of new documents related to Romney at Bain Capital & some are specifically related to TAX DODGES in the CAYMANS? Oops?

Profile Information

Member since: Tue May 13, 2008, 03:07 AM
Number of posts: 14,923
Latest Discussions»Segami's Journal